12 Horrible Gobbledygook Words We Reluctantly Accepted

[tabby]

“She liked the word “ineffable” because it meant a feeling so big or vast that it could not be expressed in words. And yet, because it could not be expressed in words, people had invented a word to express it, and that made Liesl feel hopeful, somehow.” - Lauren Oliver from “Liesl & Po”

New words enter our vocabularies sometimes by our own design but most times quite by chance through various forms of media, cultural slang, business buzzwords and the like. One day you’ve never heard the word then the next day there it is again ... and again ... until suddenly you’re using it as though you’ve known it all along. New becomes commonplace and old words sometimes fade away.

This article lists 12 words that are common today but caused consternation in some circles when first foisted upon the world by necessity or perhaps only by a creative thinker but for whatever the reason, they stuck and we use them today.

12 Horrible Gobbledygook Words We Reluctantly Accepted | Mental Floss

Are you a word purist or do you welcome slang and buzzwords into your vocabulary easily enough? Are there any new words or phrases used today that really bug you and that you'd like to see fall by the wayside? Any that you particularly enjoy using and wish you’d known all along because they’re so appropriate & expressive?

[YZGI]

“She liked the word “ineffable” because it meant a feeling so big or vast that it could not be expressed in words. And yet, because it could not be expressed in words, people had invented a word to express it, and that made Liesl feel hopeful, somehow.” - Lauren Oliver from “Liesl & Po”

New words enter our vocabularies sometimes by our own design but most times quite by chance through various forms of media, cultural slang, business buzzwords and the like. One day you’ve never heard the word then the next day there it is again ... and again ... until suddenly you’re using it as though you’ve known it all along. New becomes commonplace and old words sometimes fade away.

This article lists 12 words that are common today but caused consternation in some circles when first foisted upon the world by necessity or perhaps only by a creative thinker but for whatever the reason, they stuck and we use them today.

12 Horrible Gobbledygook Words We Reluctantly Accepted | Mental Floss

Are you a word purist or do you welcome slang and buzzwords into your vocabulary easily enough? Are there any new words or phrases used today that really bug you and that you'd like to see fall by the wayside? Any that you particularly enjoy using and wish you’d known all along because they’re so appropriate & expressive?

This might drive Spot crazy.


Effable, ineffable, yup there is a difference.

[oscar]

My Mother used to get quite tounge tied particually when exasperated.

I remember her once ordering her cat to stop ' scumpering' about.... what ever scumpering was but we all use It now.

Discombobulated Is a wonderful word especially In a discombobulated Kerrfuffle type way.

[flopstock]

Who knew donate wasn't a real word?

[AnneBoleyn]

tabby, you are so interesting! I love learning stuff like this, thanks!

[SnoozeAgain]

They were very cranky back in the 1800s, weren't they?

"Nuculer" bugs the crap out of me. I wasn't even sure I was spelling it correctly, it grates on my eyes as well as my ears.

[Bryn Mawr]

They were very cranky back in the 1800s, weren't they?

"Nuculer" bugs the crap out of me. I wasn't even sure I was spelling it correctly, it grates on my eyes as well as my ears.

No such word this side of the pond - we speak English like what she was meant to sound like, like!

[SnoozeAgain]

It was a Bushism (as in George W) and the lovely and intelligent Sarah Palin continues its use.

[along-for-the-ride]

ditto

The same

The word "ditto" is commonly used as a way of saying "me too", or "I agree".
'Ditto' comes from Latin, and means about 'as has been said before'.

[tabby]

Here are some modern words & phrases that recently made it into the dictionary. Some of them are unfamiliar to me and some of them I hear often these days. I'm a great sufferer of earworm, using its second usage ... all these years and I had no idea it had a name!

Meet the Dictionary's New Words: F-Bomb, Sexting, Bucket List - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire